Now in its third edition, Essentials of Psychiatry provides a synopsis of the most important clinical material included within the fifth edition of The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, a work hailed as "the best reference for the majority of practicing psychiatrists" (Doody's Book Reviews). Revised and updated to incorporate the latest research findings, this economical paperback abridgement of the Textbook presents, in distilled form, the core knowledge base of clinical psychiatry by focusing on information of greatest relevance to students, residents, and practicing clinicians. To create the Essentials, the editors meticulously vetted the original Textbook's 44 chapters and selected those they deemed most important for clinical practice. The resulting 22 chapters constitute a concise yet comprehensive tutorial on clinical psychiatry and are presented in a manner that is at once interesting and accessible. Included in this volume are Two chapters dedicated to psychiatric interviewing and diagnostic assessment (including laboratory testing and neuroimaging). Twelve chapters covering clinically common psychiatric disorders (delirium and dementia; substance abuse; schizophrenia; and mood, anxiety, somatoform, adjustment, impulse-control, personality, childhood-onset, sleep, and eating disorders). Four chapters summarizing major treatments and therapies (psychopharmacology, brief psychotherapies, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and cognitive therapy). Two chapters focused on specific patient populations (children/adolescents, and seniors). Two chapters addressing additional critical issues (psychiatry and the law; suicide).
A unique feature of this text is the collaboration of junior and senior authors for many of the chapters. The resulting blend of new insights and fresh perspectives with profound wisdom and vast research and clinical experience enriches the material and increases its appeal to readers of diverse backgrounds and levels of educational and clinical experience.
A broad, integrated knowledge of medicine, psychology, and neuroscience is the foundation of psychiatric practice and the optimal basis for treatment decisions. Essentials of Psychiatry, Third Edition, makes this key knowledge accessible to psychiatry residents and practitioners alike and will also prove useful to physicians in other fields (e.g., family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, neurology), as well as to interested laypersons and nonmedical professionals such as clergy and members of the bar.